Fire brigade responds to 78 calls in 24 hours, 13 flood related

The fire brigade responded to dozens of calls largely related to the storms on Wednesday, including to release a person trapped in a car in a flooded road. According to an announcement issued on Thursday, there had been 13 calls for floods in the districts of Nicosia, Larnaca and Paphos, mainly due to flooded basements, blocked rainwater drainage systems, fallen trees, sparks from electricity lines and a tree on fire. The fire brigade was assisted by district authority crews. In other incidents, the fire brigade responded to a call at 7.04am on Wednesday after a first-floor flat caught fire in Latsia, Nicosia. The fire, which started from a forgotten pan and spread to kitchen woodwork, was brought under control at 7.27am. Two people were in the flat at the time. One was helped out by the fire brigade. At 5.47pm on Wednesday, the fire brigade responded to a call after a vehicle caught fire on the Limassol-Nicosia highway, before the Moni exit. The fire was brought under control at 6.18pm. The fire started when the vehicle the protective barrier. The driver managed to get out of the car without injuries. The vehicle was extensively damaged. Due to the thick smoke from the fire, the police temporarily closed part of the highway. The police are investigating the circumstances of the accident. From 6am on Wednesday till 6am on Thursday, the fire brigade responded to 78 calls for help, of which 27 were fires, 46 special services – including the 13 floods-related incidents – and five false alarms.